Bonded Parallels

Infobox Film
name = Bonded Parallels


caption = "two lives... two loves... two women..."
director = Hovhannes Galstyan
producer = Gevorg Gevorgyan, Jean-Marie Delbary, Hovhannes Galstyan, Marie-Anne Le Metayer-Djivelekian, Olivier Oursel, Trond Brede Andersen
writer = Hovhannes Galstyan
starring = Siri Helene Müller, Laurence Ritter, Sos Janibekyan, Serge Avedikian
music = Vahagn Hayrapetyan
cinematography = Rouben Gasparyan
editing =
production_company = Parallels Film Production (Armenia)
coproduction = Originalfilm (Norway), Quasar Pictures (France) and Hayfilm (Armenia)
distributor =
released =
runtime = 101 minutes
country = Armenia, France, Norway
awards =
language = Armenian and Norwegian
imdb_id = 0973784

"Bonded Parallels" (Armenian title: "Խճճված զուգահեռներ") is a feature film written and directed by Armenian filmmaker Hovhannes Galstyan released in 2008. It is co-produced in Armenia, Norway and France and is supported by Armenian National Film Centre, Hubert Bals Foundation and Norwegian Film FondThis film deals with two stories which take place at different times and linked by the birth of the protagonist, the daughter, and the death of the second main character, the mother. The destiny of these two heroines has been influenced by the true story of an armenian soldier during the second world war in Norway and by director's personnal history.

Plot

Laura (Laurence Ritter), 42, single and fiercely independent, lives a quiet and isolated life as a math teacher in Yerevan, Armenia. It seems that nothing can change the rigidly ordered daily routine of this woman until she receives a diary from her mother, who died while she was giving birth to Laura. As Laura learns about her parents' story for the first time - a love story of desperation, loss and primal passion - she begins to experience a parallel story of forbidden love in her own life.

Laura's love story begins in a burst of rage when she strikes an unsuspecting student, 16-year-old Narek (Sos Janibekyan), for challenging her, and then falling asleep during her "precious" geometry lesson. The incident could have serious consequences for Laura. However, in the principal's room, Narek protects Laura and the issue is smoothed out. After classes Laura follows Narek to the racetrack and waits till the end of Narek's practice to find out why he protected her. During practice Narek injures his leg and Laura takes Narek to her home, where he spends the night. The following day Narek finds himself alone in Laura's apartment. He starts to examine the personal possessions of his teacher and discovers a woman's world.

The same day, Laura receives documents about her father, Arakel (Serge Avedikian) who died in exile. Among the documents is the diary of her mother, a Norwegian woman named Hanna (Siri Helene Müller). Laura learns from the translation of the diary that at the end of World War II, Hanna gave temporary asylum to a prisoner of war, Arakel, hiding him in her hut in southern Norway. Laura is entirely absorbed in Hanna's diary. Gradually, Laura begins to understand that the diary reveals the forbidden love story of how her parents met, fell in love and conceived her.

After the war, Arakel and the pregnant Hanna decide to go to Arakel's homeland, to a small Armenian village. On the very next day after arriving, Arakel is exiled to Siberia and Hanna is left alone. The language and customs of the local people is alien to Hanna. Exhausted by the long journey, Hanna never recovers and dies during childbirth.

In our present time story, an unusual relationship develops between Narek and Laura. The brave and self-confident Narek is not used to hiding his emotions. Narek doesn't conceal his feelings towards Laura, thereby encouraging her to do the same. Learned about Narek's political predilections and he's participation in demonstrations against Soviet authorities, Laura at the martial law night is compelled to leave Narek at home...

Her mother's diary and the affair with Narek are the two emotional episodes that change Laura's life forever...

Production

creenplay

Filming

Post-production

Creative staff

*Director: Hovhannes Galstyan
*Producers: Gevorg Gevorgyan, Jean-Marie Delbary, Hovhannes Galstyan, Marie-Anne Le Metayer-Djivelekian, Olivier Oursel, Trond Brede Andersen
*Production manager: Gagik karapetyan
*Production assistant: Teresa Pinto
*Director of Photography: Rouben Gasparyan
*Writer: Hovhannes Galstyan
*Production Designer: Armen Ghazaryan, Runar W. Johnsen
*Music: Vahagn Hayrapetyan
*Dresser: Madlen Khachatryan
*Sound: Garen Tsaturyan, Genady Beknazarov, Rune Hansen

Main cast

*Siri Helene Müller as Hanga
*Laurence Ritter as Laura
*Sos Janibekyan as Narek
*Serge Avedikian as Arakel

Technical data

*Production: Parallels Film Production (Armenia), Originalfilm (Norway), Quasar Pictures (France) and Hayfilm (Armenia)
*Language: Armenian and Norwegian
*Duration: 101 minutes.
*Format: 35 mm (Colored)

External links

*imdb title|id=0973784|title=Bonded Parallels
* [http://www.unifrance.org/film/28007/bonded-parallels/ Unifrance Database]
* [http://www.videopoisk.net/films/bonded_parallels.html/ Videopoisk Russia]